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Oct. 30, 1928.

1,689,253 0. A. ROSS 244 I 48 I 47 I2 ammtoz Women Patented Oct. 30 1928UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OSCAR A. ROSS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIG'NOR- T0 GENERAL RAILWAY SIGNALCOM- PANY, OF GATES, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN-CONTROL SYSTEM OR THE LIKE.

Application filed April 20, 1921, Serial No. 462,801. Renewed April 19,1927.

My invention relates particularly to that division of automatic tramcontrol known as the means for obtaining the indication from the rightof way to a vehicle, or moving train and has for its more prominentobjects the production of a simpler, more er- .ticicnt, and morereliable means for accomplishing the result desired.

My invention relates more particularly to the class of means forobtaining the indication from the right of way to the train known asinductive systems; namely, where the indication is given from the rightof way to train by means of induced current as said train passes overone, or more of the inductors on the right of way.

As systems of this kind operate on what is termed the open circuitprinciple it is necessary to check the presence of the inductors andinductive means influenced thereby, including all wires, circuits, etc.involved in successful operation of such a system. One aim of myinvention is to entirely check the integrity of such apparatus andcircuits whereby it is assured they will be in proper place and inproper operative condition at all times.

All the above and other objects sought are attained by the system which,for purposes or specific illustration, is shown in the ac companyingdrawings, in which;

Fig. 1, is a diagrammatic View of a section of a roadway equipped withthe circuits and apparatus involved in indicating inductively to amoving train, or vehicle.

Fig. 2, is also a diagrammatic view of the circuits and apparatuscarried by a train, or vehicle which is adapted to co-operate with thecircuits and apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1.

None of the several appliances employed 1n this system, are, need be ofany special, or

unusual form, or construction, but for a more ready understanding ofthesystem and of its operation, a preliminary description of the devices,or appliances employed may be appropriate.

Referring to Fig. 1, the rails 11, form a railway system of whichblocks, A, B, and G, are shown insulated by insulating oints 22. Eachblock is equipped with a track battery such as 2A, and 2B, or theirequivalent and track relayssuch as 813, and 3C, or their equivalent.Relay 3C, is arranged to operpied by a train as X1, signal 12C, will beat stop as shown. Further, through influence of signal 120, signal 12B,is made to indicate caution as shown. 14A, and 14B, are inductivedevices composed of a suitable magnetic core, each pole of which issecured to the opposite track rails 11, but suitable means such asinsulation may be inserted to prevent short circuiting of the trackcircuits.

Said devices are supplied with suitable windings, such as 15, as shown.

Referring to Fig. 2, X2, represents a. vehicle, or train of which onlyone pair of wheels and an axle are shown. Located on said wheels andaxle and surrounding the axle is coil 16, which may be called aninductive device or a receiver or an inductive receiver arranged in sucha mannerthat any magnetic flux passing through said axle will effect orinduce an electric current in said coil 16.

Also located on the vehicle is relay or electro-magnetic device 17, ofsuitable coil and core, with its armature arranged to operate contactlever 18. Also located on the vehicle is relay 19, operating lever 20.Also located on the vehicle and controlling the brakes thereof is theelectro-pneumatic valve EPV. This may be any of the well-known forms oftrain controlling devices operating to control the speed of a train,preferably of the construction as illustrated in Patent #1,072,507granted to me Sept. 9th, 1913, and is known as the stick type, that is,after the circuitcontrolling the valve is opened eX- ternally, theaction of the valve in operating to stop the train also maintains saidcircuit open at a point remote from the point where it is initiallyopened. Latch 46, pivoted at 49, is adapted to allow armature 18 to risebut prevent its lowering to close the circuit until key operated stop 47has been rotated normally the following track circuit is maintamed:

N art-indicating circuit.

From battery 2B, wire 22, track rail 1, wire 23, relay 3B, wire 24,lever 8, wires 25, 26, coil 15, wire 27, lever 9, wire 28, rail 1, wires29, 30, lever 7, in upper position, wire 31, returning to battery 213.With this circuit established, relay 3B is energized and if signal 1215,were not influenced by signal 120, it would show clear. The amount ofenergy through relay 3B, is comparatively very small due to inherentconditions existing in a track circuit and which is known as leakage.For example it is well known that in average track circuits only a smallpercentage of the energy imposed upon the energy end is delivered at therelay end. Under these conditions the small amount of energy passingthrough the inductive device, as 1 121, is not suiiicient to magnetizeits core to an extent that will induce an operative current in the cabcircuit of a train as X2, while it is passing even at maximum speed, andas will be more fully hereinafter described.

Assume now that a train, as X1, occupies block C, thereby shunting outrelay 36, causing its contact levers to fall to back contact as shown.Under these conditions relay 3B, is energized by a circuit, includingthe coil 15, of inductive device 14B, in the following manner; frombattery 2B, wire 22, rail 1, wire 23, relay 3B, wire 2%, lever 8, wires25, 26, coil 15, of inductive device 1 in, wire 27, lever 9, wire 28,upper rail 1, wire 29, lever 6, wires 45, 32, coil 15, of inductivedevice 1415, wire 33, lever 5, wire 3%, returning to battery 213. Itwill be noted that in the last named circuit the integrity of windings15, of both inductive devices 1421, and 1 115, are checked, as shouldthe circuit of either be opened, relay 3B, would be ole-energized.

Assume now that a train, as X2, enters block B, traveling in thedirection of arrow l/V. Since train X1, has placed inductive device 148in series with battery 215, through action of relay 30, as the wheelsand axle carrying coil 16, bridge rails 11, of block 13, said battery2B, is short circuited through said wheels and axle forming thefollowing circuit:

Indicating track circuit.

From battery 2B, wire 22, rail 1, wheels and axle of train X2, upperrail 1, wire 29, lever 6, wire 32, coil 15, of inductive device 1 :13,wire 33, lever 55, wire 34:, to battery 2B. In this manner a largecurrent is sent through the coil 15 of inductive device 1413, and saidcurrent increases rapidly as said train X2, ap proaches said inductivedevice 14:13, and is maximum just as the coil 16 passes over coil 15.Under these conditions coil 15 of inductive device 14B, induces a strongmagnetic flux in its core, and as wheels and axle of train X2, pass oversaid inductive device a complete ma netic circuit will be formedmomentarily through the core, rails, wheels and axle. This circuit isimmediately broken as the wheels pass by said inductive device. I Inthis manner a strong current is induced in coil 16, dependent upon thespeed at which the said train is traveling. The path of said current isas follows:

Gab operating circuit.

From coil 16, Wire 35, checking relay 19, wires 36, 37, valve EPV, wire38, lever 18, wires 39, 40, cab relay 17, wire 41, returning to coil 16.It will be noted that the inductive device MB, is placed some distancein advance of signal 120. This distance should be such that if theengineman has obeyed the caution signal and brought the speed of thetrain, X2, to 20 miles per hour or less, then an automatic applicationof the brakes will cause its stopping on or before reaching signal 12C.The tension of spring aSattached to lever 18 will be so adjusted thatwhen a train as X1 passes over an inductive device, as 14B, at a speedin excess of 20 miles per hour, the armature 18 will be raised suffneiently to latch over latch l6. Therefore should a trainman violate thecaution signal 12B, and attempt to maintain maximum speed through blockB, any speed in excess of 20 miles per hour when passing the inductivedevice as MB will cause relay 17 to operate and apply the emergencybrakes to the train, such emergency application being of such acharacter that said train will be stopped before reaching signal 12C,even if it be traveling at maximum speed. Latch 4:6 prevents the closureof the circuit controlled by 18 except after a manual operation of 17.

As the last described circuit is on the open circuit principle, itbecomes necessary to check the presence and integrity of all wires,apparatus, etc; therefore the following circuit is maintained:

0c?) checking circuit.

From battery 21, wire 12, lever 20, wires &3, 39, lever 18, wire 38,valve EPV, wires 37, ll, returning to battery 21. It will be noted thiscircuit can be opened through two sources, the lowering of lever 20,which would be caused by an opening of the circuit containing the coil16, or by raising of lever 18, which would be caused by current of asubstantial amount passing through relay 17. Therefore should a wirebreak, or should the'circu it be otherwise opened, relay 19 would bedeenergized thereby operating valve EPV, and stopping the train, callingattention to such defect in the circuit.

As stated above the armature 20 is included in the circuit through thevalve so that if armature 20 drops the valve will be opened loo cause inorder to energize relay 19 so that its armature will be in the upperposition it is necessary to maintain a circuit from battery 21 throughthe coil 16 as follows: bat tery 21, wire 36, relay 19, wire 35, coil16, wire 41, relay or electromagnetic device 17, Wire 40, also wire 43,armature 20 and wire 42 to the other side of the battery 21. This lastdescribed circuit is a part of the means for checking the integrity ofthe vehicle carried devices, and operates equally with the circuitthrough the valve as a detector of circuit integrity and when there is alack of integrity an operation of the valve or train control device willbe caused.

The invention as I have indicated, does not depend upon the use of anyspecific form of apparatus for accomplishing the functions and purposeshereinbefore set forth.

WVhat I claim is 1. In a system of automatic train control, incombination; an inductive receiver; a source of current; a relay,including a controlled circuit controller; an electro-n'iagnetic device;means connecting the source .of cur rent, the receiver, the relay, theelectro-mag netic device and the circuit controller in a series circuitand means controlled by the electromagnetic device for controlling thetrain.

2. In a system of automatic train control, in combination: an inductivereceiver; a source of current; a relay, including a controlled circuitcontroller; an electromagnetic device, including a controlled circuitcon troller, means connecting the source of current, the receiver, therelay, the electro-magnetic device and the circuit controller in aseries circuit; an electro-magnetic train control device; meansconnecting the train control device, the circuit controller of theelectro-magnetic device, the circuit controller of the relay and thesource of current in a series circuit and means to inductively aiieotthe receiver.

3. In a system of automatic train control, in combination: an inductivereceiver; a source of current; a relay, including a controlled circuitcontroller; an electro-magnetic device, including a controlled circuitcontroller; means for locking said last mentioned circuit controller inone position and manually releasing it to another position; meansconnecting the source of current, the receiver, the relay, theelectromagnetic device and the first mentioned circuit controller in aseries circuit; an electro-magnetic train control device; meansconnecting the train control device, the circuit controller of therelay, the circuit controller of the electro-magnetic device and thesource of current in a series circuit and means to inductively affectthe receiver whereby the circuit controller of the electro-magneticdevice is moved to locked position and the train control device isdeenergized. I

4. In an automatic train control, in combination: a trackway; a traincontrol device;

an electro-magnetic device for controlling said control device, wherebyan energiza tion thereof causes the train control device to act todecrease the train speed; an inductive receiver; means on the trackwayfor inducing a current in said inductive receiver and means connectingthe inductive receiver with the electro-magnetic device, said meansincluding a device for detecting integrity whereby it is rendered safeto depend upon an energization from the trackway to decrease the speedof a train.

5. In an automatic train control, in coinbination: an inductivereceiver; means for inducing a current in said inductive receiver; meansfor utilizing the said current for con trolling the speed of a train; asource oi cur rent and electro-magnetic devices and electricalconnections therebetween including the receiver whereby the inducedcurrent may flow in a circuit not including a source of current, but acurrent flow through the receiver is maintained to check the integrityof the receiver and the electrical connection.

6. In a system of automatic train control, in combination: an inductivereceiver; a source of current; a relay having an armature controlling amake and break contact; an electro-magnetic device having an armaturecontrolling a make and break contact; an electro-magnetic train controldevice; means connecting the source of current, the armature and makeand break contact of the relay, the armature and make and break contactof the electro-magnetic device and the electro-magnetic train controldevice in a series circuit; and means connecting the receiver, theelectro-magnetic device, its armature and make and break contactcontrolled thereby, the electro-magnetic train control device, the relayand the receiver in a series circult. c

7. In asystem of automatic train control, in combination: an inductivereceiver; a source of current; a relay having an armature controlling amake and break contact; an electro-magnetic device having an armaturecontrolling a make and break contact; an electro-magnetic train controldevice; means connecting the source of current, the armature and makeand'break contact of the relay, the armature and make and break contactof the electro-magnetic device and the electro-magnetic train controldevice in a series circuit; means connecting the receiver,

the electro-magnetic device, its armature and make and break contactcontrolled thereby, the electro-magnetic train control device, the relayand the receiver in a series circuit, and means connecting the source ofcurrent thereby, the receiver, the electro-magnetic device, the make andbreak contact controlled by the armature of the relay and the armatureof the relay in a series circuit.

8. In a train control device, in combination: an inductive deviceincluding a coil; a train control device; a relay including an armature;two circuits, one including the train control device and the otherincluding a coil of the inductive device the relay and the relayarmature and means included in said circuits whereby a lack of integritycauses an operation of the train control device.

9. Car-carried apparatus for automatic train control systems comprising,a car-carried impulse receiving coil for receiving impulses fromsuitable spaced trackway devices; normally energized electro-magneticbrake control apparatus Which if de-energized efiects an application ofthe brakes oi the train; an electro-responsive device connected incircuit with said impulse receiving 0011 for actuatmg said brake controlapparatus, which device if momentarily actuated remains in its actuatedcondition until restored by separate means; and other means for checkingthe integrity of the circuit including said electro-responsive deviceand said impulse receiving coil.

10. Car-carried apparatus for automatic train control systemscomprising, a car-carried impulse receiving coil for receiving impulsestrom suitable spaced trackway device;

normally energized electro-magnetic brake control apparatus which ifde-energized effects an application of the brakes of the train; anelectro-responsive device connected in circuit With said impulsereceiving coil for actuating said brake control apparatus, which deviceit once actuated remains in its actuated condition until restored byseparate means; and a relay normally energized and including in series asource of current, its own front contact, said impulse receiving coiland said electro-responsive device, for checking the integrity of suchcircuit, whereby momentary lack o1 integrity Will be checked.

OSCAR A. ROSS.

